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Topic:The Heroic and Formative Ages of the Faith TO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH THE HEROIC AND FORMATIVE AGES OF THE FAITH SPIRITUAL QUALITIES RELEVANT TO THIS TOPIC: PERSEVERANCE, OPTIMISM, FRIENDLINESS . The Kitáb-i-Aqdas, revealed from first to last by the Author of the Dispensation Himself, not only preserves for posterity the basic laws and ordinances on which the fabric of His future World Order must rest, but ordains . the necessary institutions through which the integrity and unity of His faith can alone be safeguarded. Shoghi Effendi, God Passes By, pp. 213–14 The embryonic Faith . traversing the period of infancy in the course of the Heroic Age of the Faith is now steadily progressing towards maturity in the present Formative Age, destined to attain full stature in the Golden Age of the Bahá’í Dispensation. Shoghi Effendi, Citadel of Faith, p. 82 —Institutions of the Bahá’í Faith 45 GOAL: TO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH TOPIC: THE HEROIC AND FORMATIVE AGES OF THE FAITH LEARNING OBJECTIVES AND SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES KNOWLEDGE OBJECTIVES • To know, from the writings of Shoghi Effendi, that the revelation by Bahá’u’lláh of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas established the laws and ordinances upon which the administrative order is being built, and that these laws and ordinances constitute the fundamental structure of the Bahá’í administrative order • To know the laws of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas SUGGESTED LEARNING ACTIVITIES • Read selected passages by the Guardian that • Make a weaving activity symbolizing the illustrate the role of the laws and fundamental structure of the ordinances in relation to the administrative administrative order as warp and woof. order. Also, use Taherzadeh’s Revelation of Have paper strips with Bahá’í laws Bahá’u’lláh, vol. III. written on them and weave them into a wall hanging. WISDOM OBJECTIVES • To become familiar with the heroic and formative ages of the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh and understand the spiritual connection between these ages • To understand how the administrative order unfolded during the ministry of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, at the time of the Guardian Shoghi Effendi, and today under the guidance of the Universal House of Justice • To gain insight into the special contributions of the Knights of Bahá’u’lláh and the pioneer builders who arose to establish local Bahá’í institutions worldwide • To understand how the national Bahá’í institutions were constructed on the firm foundation of these local spiritual assemblies SUGGESTED LEARNING ACTIVITIES • Look up “formative” and “heroic” in the • Read “Answering the Call of the Guardian” dictionary and discuss why these periods (Brilliant Star MJ 92, p. 24–7). Study a were called by these titles. Knight, dress-up, and recount the life to the • Read, discuss, and color chart on “Plans of class using “Knights of Bahá’u’lláh” (Herald God” (Brilliant Star JA 91, pp. 4–5). Play of the South, vol. 32, pp. 23–39). the “Knights of Bahá’u’lláh” game • On a world map put the names of Knights (Brilliant Star MJ 92, pp. 16–17). Read and the area each conquered. and role-play “How to be a Knight” • Make a model of the tomb of the Greatest (Brilliant Star SO 91, pp. 8–9). Holy Leaf, explaining the symbolism of the administrative order. 46 World Order of Bahá’u’lláh—Level Two GOAL: TO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH TOPIC: THE HEROIC AND FORMATIVE AGES OF THE FAITH SPIRITUAL PERCEPTION OBJECTIVES • To perceive why Shoghi Effendi calls the Formative Age the “Iron Age” of the Faith • To discern the connection between the construction of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs of the world, and the acquisition and development of Bahá’í properties to the rise and strength of the administrative order • To perceive how attacks on early Bahá’í institutions became a means of demonstrating the independent character of the Faith and the cause of enlarging its limits and membership • To perceive the ways in which the Bahá’í community cooperates with and assists humanitarian organizations, the agencies of the United Nations, and governments in their undertakings for the well-being of the people of the world • To realize that the administrative order developed as the result of well organized plans and understand the necessity of making plans and setting goals in one’s own life SUGGESTED LEARNING ACTIVITIES • Create a Mashriqu’l-Adhkár with popsicle • Make a chart of the unfoldment of the sticks or blocks and discuss the rise and administrative order from the time of strength of the administrative order with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the present. sticks representing various aspects of • Develop a dance performance illustrating life. the formative age as the “Iron Age.” • Make a Bahá’í History Tree (Brilliant Star, • Use the story of the three little pigs to MA 92, pp. 16–17). illustrate how one’s spiritual home may be • Research and report on various Bahá’í strengthened as a response to attacks. humanitarian projects. Show some • Share stories about real people who stood newsreel stories about these projects. up to difficulties and became stronger. ELOQUENT SPEECH OBJECTIVES • To be able to make presentations on the history of the administrative order • To share creative work to teach others about the rise and development of institutions • To become involved in assisting local Bahá’í institutions in their collaboration with humanitarian organizations SUGGESTED LEARNING ACTIVITIES • Prepare public presentations on the history • Host a community event in celebration of of the administrative order. the administrative order. Students may • Make the mobile in “Bahá’u’lláh’s Gift to exhibit all their artwork and perform their the World” (Brilliant Star MJ 91, pp. 3– other projects along with speeches. 5). • Perform a puppet show for younger • Become involved locally with one of the children of the Three Little Pigs building a humanitarian organizations that the strong house. Local Spiritual Assembly is assisting. —Institutions of the Bahá’í Faith 47 GOAL: TO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH TOPIC: THE HEROIC AND FORMATIVE AGES OF THE FAITH Sample Activities ACTIVITY 1: SEEDS OF A NEW WORLD ORDER WISDOM OBJECTIVE: To become familiar with the heroic and formative ages of the Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh and understand the spiritual connection between these ages SPIRITUAL PERCEPTION OBJECTIVE: To realize that the administrative order developed as the result of well organized plans and understand the necessity of making plans and setting goals in one’s own life INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS AND LEARNING TOOLS: Direct use of Bahá’í sacred writings; Use of science and nature SUGGESTED TIME FOR ACTIVITY: 45 MIN. Materials Needed • Large bean seeds (such as dried lima beans) • Large index card or other card or paper for each student • Markers or other art materials • Table knives (optional) Advance Preparation: Soak the beans (at least one bean for each student) approximately two hours before class. 1. Welcome the students and invite them to share 3. Invite the students to very carefully use their one happy memory from the past week. fingernails, or a table knife, to gently split the Especially encourage them to recall and share seed along its seam, and reveal the plant an example of an act of service that they have embryo inside. Invite students to see the carried out the past week. Applaud all. potential for tiny leaves and stems inside. Briefly discuss: 2. Suggest to the students that these acts of service are like the seeds of a new world order • How do we know that this seed could based on the laws of God for a new age. become a plant? Distribute to each student a seed that has been • How do we know that our acts of service softened by soaking in water. Briefly discuss: can help build a better world? How are our small acts of service like this • How do we know that our Local Spiritual seed? Acknowledge all responses. Assembly will grow into a local House of Justice? 4. Assist students to discern the signs of growth and development in the seed, and in themselves, and in their local Bahá’í institutions. Then briefly discuss: What does the seed need in order to grow? Acknowledge all responses and then ask: • How does the seed know how to grow? • How does it know to grow toward the sun? • How do the leaves know to unfold? 48 World Order of Bahá’u’lláh—Level Two GOAL: TO UNDERSTAND THE HISTORY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE ORDER OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH TOPIC: THE HEROIC AND FORMATIVE AGES OF THE FAITH Assist students to understand that the growth 6. Then read aloud the following quotation: of the seed progresses according to the divine The Formative Period . [is] the Age in plan, that its genetic structure includes a plan which the institutions, local, national and for growth, and that each stage of growth international, of the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh . makes possible the next stage. Then briefly . develop . in anticipation of . the discuss: How do our own acts of service help Golden Age destined to witness the us become more and more powerful in our emergence of a world-embracing Order service to others? enshrining the ultimate fruit of God’s latest Revelation to mankind, a fruit whose 5. Then explain that the institutions of the Bahá’í maturity must signalize the establishment of Faith also grow according to a Plan. This plan a world civilization and the formal was brought by Bahá’u’lláh, explained by inauguration of the Kingdom of the Father ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi, and is now upon earth as promised by Jesus Christ guided by the Universal House of Justice.
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